Paying Edward a visit
by ShimmerSplash
Summary: A few years after the events of the Promised Day, Edward, is now happily married and living with his wife and kids. He is often visited by his friends and acquaintances, who stop by his house for chats. This fic is an account of some of those visits.
1. A visit from the flame alchemist

This was just a one-shot before, but I decided to add at least one more chapter to it, because I love so many of the characters.

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 **A visit from the flame alchemist**

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Brigadier General Mustang took a sip of his tea as Edward put the baby down slowly in her crib. He hovered over the tiny form for a minute, checking to make sure that she was indeed fast asleep, and then returned to his seat.

"She is sneaky, this one." He said with a sigh. "Just when you think she has fallen asleep, she will open her little eyes and start bawling, loud enough to wake up the entire neighborhood."

"Looks like she's going to be every bit as rowdy as her father." Mustang surmised, a smile touching his lips. He still hadn't gotten used to seeing Edward as a family man. It seemed like only yesterday when the two young brothers had set out to return to their bodies, a dangerous journey they had had to undertake after an unfortunate incident in the past that had almost cost them their lives. Having been a part of the journey himself, he knew how much the past still had the power to affect everyone that had been involved. Even now, there were days when he found himself waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, his body shaking with the aftermath of his recurring nightmares.

Father.

Though long gone, memories of that man—or rather, that _thing—_ still haunted him. What would have become of the world if it hadn't been for the Elric brothers? Father, who claimed to have swallowed God Himself, had been hell bent on destroying humanity in order to become "the perfect being".

The brothers, although having been no more than kids at the time, had fought tooth and nail to protect the ones they loved. He had been amazed by the maturity that the youngsters had displayed during those moments of despair. A lesser man would have lost hope and succumbed to misery.

So many lives had been lost. The corrupt upper echelon of their government had caused so much destruction. The death of one man in particular, had driven him to an angered frenzy, to a point where he was willing to seek out everyone who had been responsible for it and kill them himself. Edward had managed to keep him from going down that path of self-destruction, which would have ended his chance at everything he had worked so hard for. He remembered the hatred that had been burning deep inside him for so long, the thirst for revenge that had brought forth the madness. Had it not been for Hawkeye and Edward, he would have let his feelings get the better of him.

He would remain eternally grateful to the young man sitting in front of him right now, for forcing him to choose what was right.

"Well, her brother is already more than a handful, I'll tell you. If she follows his footsteps, it won't be long before my hair starts turning prematurely grey." sighed Edward, snapping the General back to the present.

"With all that you have been through, I thought taking care of your own children would be a piece of cake." Mustang laughed.

"Hey, wait till you have kids of your _own_ and you have to wake up every night to the sounds of them shrieking and howling. _Then_ you'll understand how hard it all is!" Edward sniffed. "And speaking of kids", he added slyly, "when exactly are Riza and you planning on getting married and having babies?"

Mustang choked on a piece of cookie he had just taken a bite out of. "W-what? Marry? Riza? Babies? What the hell are you talking about?" he coughed, yanking on his collar to loosen it.

"Oh come off it Colonel! We all know you two have a thing going. Let's not keep everyone in suspense anymore, okay?"

"Fullmetal", Mustang murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "I think lack of sleep has turned your brain into mush. Perhaps I should let you get some rest before you start sputtering out any more non-sense." He got up to leave.

"Fine fine, I'm sorry!" Edward said quickly. "Gee, I was only kidding. Don't go just yet. It gets lonely around here with Al gone."

Narrowing his eyes at Edward as if to dare him to bring up that subject again, Mustang sat back down. "You might also try to remember, for once, that I'm _no longer_ a Colonel."

"Ah, well. Old habits are hard to change. I may never get used to calling you General."

Mustang rolled his eyes.

"By the way, where are Winry and your son? Haven't seen them since I got here."

"They're both taking a nap." said Edward, sighing. "The baby kept us up all night, and obviously that seemed like a good opportunity for the older kid to run amok in the house."

"Hm, maybe Alphonse should come back soon to help you both with the kids. He was always better at things like these than you anyway."

"Hey!" cried Edward sullenly. "That's not true. I'm just as good! Who do you think changes the diapers around here, huh?"

"Winry of course", Mustang replied without missing a beat. "You don't really expect me to believe that _you_ do it."

Edward scowled at him. "I help, you know!"

"Of course you do" Mustang returned, smiling at the disgruntled look on his face.

Edward leaned back on the sofa. "I guess you're right. Having Al here would certainly be a lot of help. The last time he called, he said he was almost done with learning about Eastern Alchemy. Maybe he'll be back sooner than we think."

Mustang stared at Edward quietly. After a while he asked:

"Do you miss it?"

Edward didn't have to ask to know what he was talking about.

"Sometimes" he said. "Mostly when my two-year old starts breaking things and I need to fix them", he added with a laugh. "But I gave it all up to bring my brother back from the other side. If I had to do it all over, I wouldn't change a thing. My family is more important to me than anything else in the world."

The General nodded his head in understanding.

"Besides" said Edward, "After Al is finished with his studies, he will have learned enough about alchemy for the both of us. When he gets back home I'll get him to do everything around the house while I sit back and relax."

"Of course. There are no better incentives for wanting to come back home than household chores" Mustang muttered sarcastically.

Edward sniggered.

"In all probability though, Winry'll put a stop to it immediately and drag you in to take care of the work yourself."

"Bah! Can't you even let a man _hope_ for good things?"

Shrugging, Mustang replied "Your brother deserves the break a lot more than you do. He _has_ been travelling for a lot longer. He's still living in Xing isn't he?"

Edward nodded, "From what I hear, little Mei Chan has been taking good care of him. She's 14 now, and still hasn't gotten over her crush on Al."

Mustang stared at him. "Good care…? Um, isn't she a little too _young_ to be taking "good care" of him?"

Sputtering out the tea he had been sipping on, Edward coughed.

"What perverted things are you thinking about _now!?_ I meant she was showing him around their country and teaching him about their culture and traditions!" He put his cup down. "Anyway, Al has always been quite fond of her and feels protective of her, but only like a _brother_."

"Are you saying he hasn't noticed the fact that she has a huge crush on him?"

"Oh he definitely hasn't missed that. I've teased him about it enough times for him to completely ignore it. But right now, he feels nothing more for her than brotherly affection. Of course, I still wonder if that will change a few years along the way. Mei is an exceptionally bright young lady, talented, kind and loving. When she's older, my brother might start looking at her differently and then return her feelings. Who knows, in a couple of years, she may become my new sister-in-law."

"Hm, that might prove to be useful for us." Mustang murmured, stroking his chin. "It could help strengthen our alliance with their nation."

"Sheesh Colonel, do you always have to make EVERY thing about our country and the government? Leave my brother's relationship out of this, will you?!"

"It doesn't hurt to look at things from the nation's perspective you know", Mustang countered. "Also, it's _General_ not _Colonel_!"

"Whatever!" Edward grumped. "And we don't need Al getting married to Mei to build strong ties with the East, for crying out loud! Have you forgotten all about Ling? The _Emperor_ of Xing?!"

Mustang eyed him indignantly. "Please, Fullmetal. I think I deserve a lot more credit than that. As a General, I have had the opportunity to meet with Emperor Ling Yao far too many times to _forget_ about him."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot that the two of you meet on a regular basis. Perhaps you can ask him to come visit me? It would be so much fun if we could hang out again, like old times."

"He's the _Emperor_ Edward! Do you expect him to just come, traipsing along to this part of the country to meet you in person?"

"It's possible!" Edward defended. "We can't cross the desert with the baby right now, but I'd like for him to see her. Even though he's the Emperor, I'm sure he hasn't forgotten the old days when he used to climb up the windows to meet us. Plus, he'll have Lan Fan along with him. Having her is as good as having an entire hoard of bodyguards!"

Mustang sighed. "Fine. The next time I have an opportunity to meet with him; I'll let the Emperor know of your… _wishes."_

"Thanks Colonel, you're a peach!" Edward grinned.

"It's not Colonel! It's…oh never mind!" cried Mustang, resigned.

 **XXX**

A few hours later, the General rose to his feet. "Well, I should be getting back now. Riza is probably going to give me an earful for taking so long."

"Bring her with you the next time. Don't leave her alone there to attend to all _your_ work while you're out, relaxing!"

"I take offense to that! I don't make Riza do all my work!" Mustang cried.

"Right, maybe next time I'll get to hear the truth from _her._ " Edward returned, walking him out.

They reached the gate and just as the General bade goodbye and turned to leave, Edward placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!"

Eyebrows raised, Mustang glanced back at him. "What? What is it?"

"This is really important, okay? I need you to go back, and think about this _very_ carefully!"

"Okay. I understand. What is it?"

"It is imperative, that you give this matter a lot of consideration. You'll probably toss and turn, wondering if this is the right thing to do, not wanting to take my word for it, but in the end, I'm only trying to tell you what I think is _right_!"

"Alright. What is it?"

"Promise me that you will give serious thoughts to this! Both Winry and I think this is for the best. In fact, you shouldn't even question it, because we _know_ that it will ultimately be for your own good! So promise me you'll regard this matter with utmost seriousness!"

"Fine fine I promise! Just tell me already, Fullmetal!" cried Mustang, exasperated and curious beyond belief.

"Okay" Edward let out his breath. "Here goes."

Mustang stared at him with wide, expectant eyes.

"Shave the 'stache, _Colonel._ "

Muttering about making it legal to kill annoying brats, the General walked away, not looking back to see Edward roaring with laughter as he waved him goodbye.


	2. A visit from the Emperor

Please leave a review if you like this chapter :)

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 **A visit from the emperor**

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After an hour's worth of cooing and coddling, swinging and bouncing around, praying and negotiating, and even resorting to bribes that fell on uncomprehending ears, Edward had finally succeeded in getting the baby to fall asleep, a tiny thumb planted firmly in her mouth as she yawned, settling down to a peaceful slumber. He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at the little form bundled up in his arms.

"She's sleeping!" he whispered happily to his wife, who had already taken the liberty to lie down in bed, the covers wrapped tightly around her. She gave him a tired smile as he put their daughter down in her crib. Patting the side of the bed she said, "Come here"; glad to finally have some peace in the house.

Edward hurried to get in beside his wife, snuggling close to her and sighing with contentment. Moments like these were damn near precious. He hadn't even realized how much he had taken silence for granted, till their kids were born. It was so rare nowadays, for the two of them to get a chance to sleep in early.

Winry turned around in his embrace and kissed him softly on the lips. Putting her own arms around his neck she started peppering him with small kisses all over his face.

Edward hesitated. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to be doing this right now, especially with the kids in the room", he said, glancing at the other side of the bed where their two year old son was sleeping soundly, a bit of drool hanging from his wide, open mouth.

"Well", Winry whispered, her fingers edging close to the buttons on his shirt, "It's either here, or the couch in the living-room. Take your pick." She unbuttoned the first two buttons and slipped her hand inside.

All thoughts of being discreet flew right out of Edward's head. He bent forward eagerly, crashing his lips down on hers as Winry let her hands slide in further, caressing his chest.

"Oh. We seem to have arrived at a very interesting time indeed!" a loud voice exclaimed from somewhere nearby.

Several things happened almost instantly. Winry let out a deafening shriek as she scuttled towards the edge of the bed, grabbing the wrench that she kept at the bedside table and pulling back her arm to throw it at the direction from where the voice had been heard. Immediately, a strong metallic hand caught hold of her wrist, tightening its fingers to make her drop the heavy tool, while the voice cried out, "Hey, hey. Take it easy now!" The commotion woke up the kids. The baby started howling at the top of her voice and her brother sat up, rubbing his eyes and mumbling, "wha happen mommy?"

Edward sat staring at the open window, speechless. There, crouched on the sill and holding onto a curtain for support, sat a hooded figure, his face hidden behind a cloth, wrapped carefully around his head. Another figure similarly dressed, but seemingly more slender in shape, was holding on to Winry, trying to restrain her from flailing wildly about.

"Ling!?" he exclaimed, as said person leapt from the window to land casually beside their bed. He shifted to remove the cover from his head and gave them a wide grin. "Hello Ed. Sorry to drop by unannounced."

Winry's captor let go of her, as she stopped struggling, and then proceeded to take off the cloth covering her face to reveal what the two of them had already guessed. "Edward. Winry." Lan Fan greeted, bowing her head before them.

Edward blew a fuse. "Every. Damn. Time! Can't you just come through the DOOR like a normal person for once?!" he cried.

"Tsk tsk. That's no way to talk to the Emperor of Xing you know" Ling said pleasantly, plopping down beside them on the bed. He glanced at the young child who had been looking up at him with interest and exclaimed, "My, haven't you grown, from the last time I saw you!" The boy smiled at him, putting his finger promptly in his mouth. Ling took out a beautifully wrapped package from inside his robes and handed it over to the boy, who gasped excitedly. "A gift from Xing." He said, grinning down at him.

Winry had taken their baby girl out from the crib, who by this point had gone red in the face from wailing. "And who is _this_ precious little bundle of joy?" Ling cried happily. "Give her over here, I'll make her stop crying".

Smiling, Winry placed the baby in his outstretched arms. "There, there little girl" Ling cooed. "Don't cry. Your uncle Ling is here now. He's the emperor you know, he'll bring you lots of nice presents."

The baby responded by screeching even louder.

"Um, I think I broke her" he said, quickly handing her back to her mother.

"Ed, why don't you take our guests to the living room while I try to put the kids back to sleep" Winry said, rocking their daughter in her arms.

Lan Fan, who had been standing quietly by the bed, spoke up. "I best go outside and stand guard then. The emperor decided to come here all by himself, without letting his bodyguards follow him. We traveled wearing disguises to insure a safe passage, but you never know who might have ended up following us."

Winry gasped. "You came here without being escorted?! That's positively dangerous! What could have possibly possessed you to do such a careless thing?" she asked angrily, looking over at Ling.

"Don't blame me, it was _Edward's_ idea after all" Ling replied, to which Edward reacted with an angry " _WHAT!?_ "

"Oh yes." The Emperor continued. "While I was at the Central, Brigadier General Mustang told me all about his last visit here and how you wanted me to come over and meet your new daughter. I guess he didn't think I would take it too seriously though." he added thoughtfully.

Lan Fan sighed. "In any case, now that your majesty's whim has already been acted upon, I can't let my guard down. I'll be outside, watching the perimeter if anyone needs me. I trust things will be alright here." Thus saying she gave them all another short bow and, climbing out the window, disappeared into the night.

Grabbing Ling by the scruff of his neck, Edward started dragging him out of their bedroom.

"Hey! This is no way to treat an Emper-"

"Shut up" Edward muttered darkly, pulling the man behind him.

 **XXX**

"Before you start badgering me about how I ruined your pleasing night, bring me something to eat." The young king uttered calmly to a very disgruntled Ed, sitting cross-legged on the living-room sofa and leafing through the pages of an automail magazine that had been lying on the table. Grumbling angrily, Edward went to the kitchen to rummage through the shelves and returned with a bag of crackers and some cheese.

"These will have to do" he said, thrusting the food into the Emperor's already extended hands and taking a seat. Ling looked at the selection in dismay. "Well, I guess I deserve that for visiting during the wee hours of the night, without prior notice" he sighed, tearing open the bag with his fingers.

Edward grunted in response, leaning back on the couch to get comfortable. He watched as Ling started going through the contents of the bag with lightning speed, judiciously spreading the cheese on each cracker before taking a bite. "Don't you want to save some of that for Lan Fan?" he asked.

"Oh, don't worry, we had packed a lot of food before we headed out here." Ling stated through a mouthful of food. "We actually stopped to eat, a little while ago."

Incensed, his golden eyes flashing with anger, Edward erupted, "Then why are you stuffing your face again at _MY_ house?!" to which the king happily replied "Oh, but you forget, unlike Lan Fan, I happen to have a very large appetite!"

Edward cursed.

"Fine. But since you're a King now, I expect you to pay back for ALL the free meals that you have scrounged from Al and me all these years. And that adds up to a LOT, just so you know"

Ling made a face.

"How rude. Alphonse never asks that of me when he visits my court." he complained.

"Yeah, well I've always maintained that my brother is way too big a softie for his own good." Edward stated, leaning in to help himself to a cracker. "How is he doing there anyway? He told me he would be returning soon the last time we spoke on the phone. Didn't talk much about his studies though."

"Ah. Your brother is quite a gifted lad." Ling replied with a smile. "Not only did he pick-up the practice of Eastern Alchemy within a very small amount of time, but he has also been training himself in the martial-arts."

The ex-alchemist let out a low whistle. "Weird, he never told me about that. Why wouldn't he at least mention it to me?"

"I think he worries that you will start remembering the old days, and all the things that you have given up. He blames himself, you know. For the sacrifice you made to bring him back to his body."

"That's crazy! I decided to give up alchemy on my own volition. It isn't his blame to take! I'd have done anything to have my brother back, I don't regret it one bit!"

"I tried telling that to him once, but I think he really needs to hear it from you."

Sighing, Edward bent his head back to rest it on the couch. "You're right. When he comes home, I'm going to sit him down and make him understand that none of it matters, as long as I have my family by my side."

They remained quiet for a while, Edward deep in his thoughts while Ling munched away on the last few pieces of crackers. He upturned the bag to collect any remaining crumbs, and then crushed the bag in his hands.

"Speaking of family", he finally said, his customary grin back in place, "Congratulations on the new addition to _yours_."

Edward blinked, breaking out of his thoughts.

"Haven't you _already_ congratulated us on my daughter's birth?"

"Oh, it's not her that I'm talking about." Ling returned, chuckling mysteriously.

"Then who…?"

"I meant the girl who is to be your new sister-in-law"

It took Edward a while.

"My new sister-in-law? What are you - ? No. Wait a minute. _You can't honestly be talking about that little midget!_ "

The Emperor threw his head back in laughter. Wiping a tear from his eyes, he said "I'm afraid so. Seeing that Alphonse has come to be so well respected in Xing, and because of Mei's devotion to him, the head of the Chang clan, that is to say Mei's father, expressed his desire in lending Alphonse his daughter's hand in marriage."

"And you're telling me Al accepted?" Edward inquired in horror. "Not only is she a giant pain in the butt, but has he also completely overlooked the fact that she is only _fourteen_?!"

"Oh, he hasn't said yes to the proposition yet, don't worry about that" Ling said calmly, putting Ed's mind at ease. "He told him he needs time; especially keeping in mind Mei's age and how long it might be before they can even think about having her married off to someone. But he has also agreed to give the matter some thought in the future, since he doesn't see himself getting married anytime soon, anyway."

"I see." Edward sighed "Well, I guess I'm not that surprised. I even told Mustang about it when he came to visit. I just didn't think they would start talking about it so soon." He waved his hand. "Anyway, let's change the subject now. Tell me about you. What's it like being the king and everything?"

The emperor regarded him silently before saying, "Well, it's certainly not a bed of roses. Ever since I got called to the throne, I've been learning more about what it really means to be a ruler. Sometimes my ideals of what a leader should be for his citizens, clashes with the reality of politics. It was only after I sat on the throne that I realized that there are moments when, no matter how opposed you are to something, you need to abide by it for the betterment of the nation. You can't just chase after naïve dreams without realizing the implications. Fortunately, I have my trusted advisers who guide me through these things."

"I hear you have opened up trade between Amestris and Xing."

"Ah, yes. We had been in negotiations with the Brigadier General for a very long time, regarding this particular matter. I think it's safe to say that the events of the past have helped forge a very strong connection between our two nations; one that I'm sure will remain intact for years to come. Of course, if Alphonse happens to get married to Mei Chan, this bond will only be strengthened further"

"Not you too!" Edward exclaimed, exasperated. "This is exactly what Mustang had said too! Why can't you both stop dragging my brother into things and just be happy with what you already have? Why must you be so greedy?"

The smile on Ling's face faltered for a bit, but he quickly regained his composure. "You seem to have forgotten about the brief period in my life when I was sharing my body with a Homunculus. After all, there was a reason why I had been chosen to become that one in _particular_. It's in my nature to be greedy." he said, smirking.

Edward looked at him quietly.

"You still miss him." It was a statement, rather than a question.

At this Ling let out a small sigh. "Yes, I suppose I do." He said, running a finger through the fringes falling over his forehead. "It's not easy, forgetting about such an experience. It had been difficult for me to get used to him in the beginning, but later, we started sharing an odd camaraderie. He was just like me, in a lot of ways. And in the end, all he ever wanted was a place in this world, where he was accepted by people. And friends. I just wonder sometimes, what it would have been like if I could have given him all that."

"But you did, didn't you? Because of _you_ , Greed could finally realize what he truly wanted, and he also found that close friend, in _you._ "

The young Emperor smiled at him. "I'd like to think so, yes. And because of _him_ , I'm willing to believe that the Homunculus Pride may still have a chance. Most people are being extremely cautious around him right now, as the General keeps telling me. But hopefully things will turn out to be alright for him as well."

Edward seemed to be in agreement with that.

 **XXX**

"Apologies for having taken so much of your time" the Emperor said, bowing to Edward and Winry who had come outside to see them off.

"Not at all", Winry replied, grinning at him. "And you need not be so formal around us, _your majesty._ "

Ling grinned right back, "Yes, I'll try to remember that." He wrapped the cloth he had been wearing earlier, around his face, as did Lan Fan.

" _We'll_ be the ones visiting _you_ next time." Edward promised. "At least that way you won't be scaring us in the middle of the night by appearing through our windows."

"Yes, I imagine it must have made you upset. But it is still quite a few hours before sunrise. Plenty of time to catch some rest" Ling said. "Or even indulge in the activities that I so rudely interrupted earlier." He added cheekily.

Lan Fan rolled her eyes. Winry blushed to the roots of her hair, and Edward made to grab at Ling angrily, who danced away just out of his reach, a mirthful laugh escaping his lips, hidden behind the cover on his face. With that the Emperor set off, heading back towards the Central with his bodyguard, as Edward and Winry waved them goodbye.


	3. Chimeras and the strong arm alchemist

The third chapter for this story. Hope you like it :)

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 **A visit from chimeras and the strong arm alchemist**

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"EDWARD ELRIC!" cried the Major loudly as soon as Edward opened the door, his arms extended and ready to pull the shorter man into a hug.

With a nervous smile Edward greeted him. "Major Armstrong, uh, what a lovely surprise" he said, backing away slowly from the large man lest he managed to grab a hold of him. However, there was no escaping the Major, as he rushed forward and wrapped his burly arms around the younger man's chest, lifting him off his feet effortlessly as if he weighed no more than a feather. He squeezed his arms into an excruciatingly tight hug, making Edward wheeze.

"M-major! Please put me-"

"IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, EDWARD ELRIC!" the Major exclaimed, tears pouring profusely from his eyes. He refused to let go of the shorter man as he struggled to free himself from his unyielding grasp.

Every time Alex Louis Armstrong visited them, Edward was forced to go through the same routine. One wouldn't guess by just looking at the large, muscular man, but the Major was actually one of the most emotional people in the military. Or anywhere else for that matter. And apparently the man had no qualms whatsoever about _physically_ expressing his exaggeratedly enthusiastic feelings.

Quite the same way he was doing right now, in fact.

No amount of thrashing about on Edward's part was successful in making the Major pull away, and the now thoroughly exhausted man was almost ready to give up, gasping severely for breath, when he finally felt his feet touching the floor again.

Rubbing the sore muscles on his arms and chest, he smiled weakly at the large man who was beaming down at him, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Good to see you too Major. Please, come in. Winry's at work right now, so it's just me and the-"

CRASH!

Edward whipped his head around at the loud noise that had come from inside the house.

"Oh no," he whispered fearfully. "Not again."

As the Major glanced at him questioningly, Edward ran inside, stopping short at the doorway to their bedroom, to find his two year old son jumping up and down on their queen-sized bed, the remains of their bedside lamp lying smashed on the hardwood floor.

"How did you manage to get out again? I was careful to secure you in that high-chair this time!" Edward cried, as his son started pulling at the duvet, bunching it in his tiny little fists.

"Ho ho ho" laughed Alex Armstrong from behind, having followed Edward inside their room at the commotion. "The little tyke is strong, just like his father!" he said with a satisfied grin, gazing lovingly at the boy who had now grabbed the pillows.

"No no, don't do it!" Edward exclaimed, lurching forward to seize the pillows from the toddler's hands, but it was already too late. With a loud rip, the pillows were torn apart and its soft goose-down went flying in the air, scattering around all of them in a shower of white feathers.

"Yaaaaaaay!" cheered the boy, clutching a handful of the falling feathers and throwing them at his father.

Edward caught them square in the face.

"Bleargh!" he cried, spitting out the feathers that had landed inside his mouth. Wiping his tongue to get rid of the remaining bits sticking inside, he launched himself on the bed, trying to grab his son by the arm.

"Play daddy! Play, play!" the little guy sang and scooted away, out of his father's reach. He was about to jump off the edge when the Major suddenly reached out from behind and caught him, lifting him up by his left ankle which he held in a tight grip.

"Wheeeee!" the boy screamed in glee as he dangled up-side-down, his arms waving joyously below his head. Armstrong laughed, slowly swinging the kid back and forth as Edward got up from where he had landed on the bed, and let out a loud sigh.

"Come here you little terror" he said, pulling the kid by his shirt. The Major righted the little boy and placed him in his father's outstretched arms.

"I can't even leave you for a _second_ can I?" Edward huffed while his son started playing with his long pony-tail. "OUCH!" he exclaimed, at a particularly strong yank and the boy laughed delightedly at his daddy's pained expression.

Grabbing his son's pudgy little hands in his own, Edward tried to reason with the child. "Stop that, kiddo! Your little sister is asleep in the next room. If she wakes up and starts crying, it will take me ages to quiet her down!"

At that moment, the doorbell chimed suddenly, announcing someone's arrival.

"I'll get that" Armstrong offered as Edward tried shushing the over-excited boy. Leaving the father and son to their antics, the Major left the bedroom and marched up to the front door, crying, "Coming, coming" in his loud, booming voice.

Cracking the door open just a little, he peeked at the new visitors from behind it.

"Hello! Didn't think we'd be seeing you here as well, Major."

Darius and Heinkel, the two ex-soldiers of the Amestrian State Military, greeted the tall man from outside. They were both grinning, dressed in brightly colored shirts and khaki shorts, sunglasses resting on top of their heads.

"Hm? Have the two of you just returned from your latest tour across the country?" Major Armstrong asked, opening the door wide for the chimeras as they entered.

After the events of the promised day, the two of them had decided to throw away their past lives and start over. Having been transformed into chimeras a long time ago, they couldn't return to the normality that everyone else around them had been fortunate enough to get back to. So instead, they had made use of their special form and abilities as chimeras in doing something completely different from their former profession.

Along with Yoki—another ex military officer who had long been stripped of his ranks due to his fraudulent activities in the city of Youswell—they had made up their minds to join one of the city's largest circus groups.

It had been difficult in the beginning, having to leave everything behind, only to do something they weren't even sure was the right thing for them. Who would have thought they would be reduced to becoming circus freaks, after their years of military service? It was good that their families had no idea that they were still alive, since they would _not_ have been able to wrap their heads around all this.

But as time passed, they began to enjoy their new lives as performers. Being part of a circus had its fair share of risk, but compared to what they had already been through, it seemed like cake-walk. Plus they got to show their true selves to the spectators, without worrying about not being accepted. In fact, after the first few shows, it had come to everyone's notice that these two were now the most popular performers in the circus, and their act gathered a larger crowd, wherever they went. They felt free in front of the thousands of people watching and cheering for them and the crowd especially loved it when Yoki entered the stage, right in the middle of their act, to provide some comic relief.

For the past few months, the circus crew had been busy touring the nation. Ever since their popularity increased with the introduction of the chimeras' act, they had had an overwhelming response from people all over.

Now with their latest trip having come to an end, they were finally back in Central for a much required vacation and Darius and Heinkel had taken the opportunity to visit their friends.

"Yes, we have a couple of weeks off, so we thought we'd take the train and come here to meet Edward and his family." Heinkel said in response to the Major's question, looking around the house curiously as he spoke. "So, where _is_ the little pipsqueak anyway?"

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING SO SMALL THAT YOU CAN BURN HIM WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS LIKE AN ANT!?"

The outraged bellow made all three of them look up instantly.

Edward stood at the doorway, fuming, his son sitting on his shoulders and banging away on his head like a drum.

Darius and Heinkel backed away.

"Oh, come on now, he didn't even _say_ that." Darius spoke quickly, trying to calm down the now enraged former alchemist. "Besides, you don't have to be so sensitive about it anymore. You've grown so much taller!"

Edward narrowed his eyes at his visitors. "Old habits are hard to break! Also, that is NOT a good excuse for calling me a PIPSQUEAK!"

WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

A loud wail erupted from the smaller bedroom inside, making Edward groan in dismay.

The ruckus had woken up the baby.

"Now look what you did!" Edward cried, quickly letting his son down from his shoulders. "It takes me hours to get her to sleep! You two had better know how to handle a baby because THAT'S what you're going to be doing now!"

The two chimeras looked at each other and let out a big sigh.

So much for their vacation.

However, they had barely taken a few steps towards the bedroom when Major Armstrong—who had been quietly watching the three men arguing all the while—stretched his arm in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.

"What- ?"

The strong arm alchemist, his eyes suddenly sparkling like diamonds, stood up straight. Before the other men could shout at him to stop, he was tearing off his shirt to reveal his large, sculpted physique. He struck a pose, with one arm raised straight ahead of him, as he flexed the muscles on the other. His remarkably bulging biceps almost quivered as he spoke loudly.

"EDWARD ELRIC! _I_ shall take care of the baby! It will be as easy as walking in a park for a man with a body like mine!"

The men stared at the large man as he turned around to display his back muscles, which were just as impressive.

His eyes glued on Armstrong's body, Darius whispered, "What has his body got to do with taking care of a baby?" In return, the other two just shook their heads as the Major, not having heard the comment, continued to show off his muscles.

Edward finally spoke up, distracting the large man enough to stop him from flexing anymore. "Uh, okay Major. She's in the next room. I'll leave her in your care then."

Armstrong turned around and bowed formally before leaving the room to go in to check on the baby.

"He's really something, isn't he?" Heinkel said, settling down on the couch with a sigh. "I wonder if he realizes how awkward it is for the rest of us when he randomly takes his shirt off like that."

Edward nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, he can be pretty stra- W-wait a minute." He turned his head around everywhere, as if looking for something. "Where's my son?" he gasped, as his eyes darted all around the room. "He was right _here._ I put him down for just a _minute_ …"

Darius made a sound, taking a seat beside his friend, as he admonished the younger man. "Wow, Edward. Some father _you_ are. Can't even keep an eye on your own kid."

Edward came over to where the two of them were leaning back on the couch and slapped Darius around his head.

"Ow! What the hell was _that_ for?!"

"Just shut up and help me look for him, will ya?"

The two chimeras got up reluctantly and started pacing around the room, grumbling, "What are you getting so worked up about? He can't have gone outside, the door is locked still. As tiny as he is, he wouldn't have been able to reach the handle anyway."

Edward knelt down to peek under the coffee table. "He may be tiny, but when my son is up to his tricks he is more than just a handful." He said solemnly.

"Oh, sort of like his _father_ then" Darius muttered under his breath, loud enough only for Heinkel to hear it.

After a minute of looking around the room and not finding the kid anywhere, Heinkel declared, "Well, he probably ran inside while we were still talking. Let's check the other rooms."

"Right" said Edward, after checking to see if the boy was hiding behind the curtains. "I'll go check our bedroom to see if he's there. He had been playing around there before you guys came. Or maybe he went into the baby's room. I'll ask the Major if he has seen him. You guys can go check the storeroom and the kitchen."

The other two nodded as Edward went inside.

"I'll take the kitchen; you look for him in the storage." Darius said to his friend and they both left the room, in search for the boy.

 **XXX**

' _Jeez, this place is full of all kinds of crap',_ Heinkel thought, as he pushed aside an assortment of loose automail parts. The Elrics' storeroom held all of Winry's discarded projects along with other unused household items, mostly piled away in large boxes.

This was unquestionably the kind of place kids would love to treat as their hideout.

"C'mon kid. Stop hiding. Your father's worried about you." Heinkel said out loud, walking over to some shelves and looking behind them.

An abrupt giggle broke out from behind a large box right at the corner of the room, alerting the man to the kid's whereabouts.

The chimera smiled to himself. ' _Found you kid!'_

"OH! I WONDER where the boy is!" Heinkel suddenly exclaimed—loud enough for the other two men to hear him from the adjacent rooms—as he inched in closer to the box. "I'm so WORRIED about him. What if he's LOST?!"

Another surreptitious giggle was heard.

"Oh well, LOOKS LIKE HE'S NOT HERE! I'll have to look for him SOMEWHERE ELSE!"

Heinkel slowly moved forward on his tiptoes.

Moments later Edward and Darius walked in. Darius seemed to have plundered the contents of the refrigerator while looking for the boy in the kitchen. He was munching on a fried chicken leg with one hand, while the other held on to a huge platter of Winry's delicious apple pie.

Heinkel glanced at them and brought a finger to his lips, gesturing them to stay quiet. Then he turned around and, very slowly, sneaked up to the large box.

"AHA! GOTCHA!" Heinkel cried loudly as he pulled the heavy box out of the way, revealing the boy hiding behind it.

The child let out a shriek of laughter on being caught suddenly and dashed out of his hiding place, clutching onto an old umbrella in his tiny hands. Before the chimera could stop him, he made his escape from under the man's legs that were spaced wide apart.

As he ran, the blunt end of the umbrella that he had been waving in the air, hit the poor man right at his most _vulnerable_ place.

"AHHHH!" The older man screamed, as he sank onto the ground. The boy hollered with laughter —as only a little kid could—at seeing the man comically moaning in pain, and then sprinted away.

Edward rushed in to get a hold of his son.

"What is _wrong_ with this kid? Is he high on sugar or something?!" Darius cried as he too darted forward to catch the boy at the exact same moment. He had fleetingly forgotten about the pie in his hands, and as the two of them leapt towards the child, they crashed into each other midway, the pie splattering all over Edward's shirt as they fell on the floor in a heap.

On seeing this, the child laughed even louder. Their house had never been as entertaining as it was today.

"Don't you just sit there you idiot, get him!" Edward cried angrily, throwing Darius off of him. The chimera struggled to his feet as he called out to the kid. "Come back here!"

Still hooting, the kid made to dart out of the room, but right at that moment a large figure entered the storage, his body looming over the boy.

With the baby cradled in his right arm, Major Armstrong bent down to pick the boy up by the back of his shirt.

"Off causing trouble again, eh little fella?" he chuckled as the boy was left dangling happily from his hand for the second time that day. He surveyed the three men in the storeroom. One, clutching between his legs as he still rolled around in pain, one lying on the ground—his shirt covered in pie—as he sighed in relief on seeing the Major holding on to the kid, and the third standing just a few feet away, looking dumbfounded.

"Ha ha! I knew that Edward Elric's boy would be just as wayward as his father" he said, his eyes twinkling down at the laughing kid.

 **XXX**

When Winry came back from work, she was surprised to find the house so quiet. She called out to Edward, but no sound came.

She immediately went to check on the kids and found the Major sitting quietly in a chair, reading a book as he rocked the baby's cradle. Her husband and the two chimeras were sprawled across the bed, snoring loudly, with their son sleeping on Heinkel's back.

"Major? I didn't know you were coming today. What-What exactly happened here?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the sight before her.

"Oh, not much." Alex Armstrong replied cheerfully. "We had a nice time playing with your kids. Your son took turns, riding on the back of a gorilla and a lion. Then we had a splendid dinner, which I have to thank _you_ for by the way. And now everyone's very tired and they've decided to spend the rest of the night right here."

Winry needed no further explaining. Grinning, she took out some extra blankets and pillows for the visitors while thanking the Major for taking care of her children.

After that she quickly excused herself, murmuring about wanting dinner, in case she burst out laughing right there and woke everyone up.

' _If only I had been here today to witness everything that must have happened in the house'_ , she thought as she walked into the kitchen to get something to eat. ' _Sure would have made for some very interesting family pictures!_ '


End file.
